The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
In wireless communication technology, transceivers are used in various applications such as, for example, cellular telephones, cordless telephones, pagers, global positioning systems, and other applications. A transceiver chip typically includes a transmitter and receiver for performing the wireless communication functions.
A transmitter includes a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) that amplifies the load voltage signal to a required specification and also includes an output stage and an antenna that are both used to transmit the load voltage signal. An RF power amplifier requires sufficient power efficiency so that the PA achieves low-power consumption.
An RF power amplifier should also meet the linearity specification in the output signal in order to achieve a reliable communication. The non-linear components can introduce undesired frequency tones which degrade the wireless transmission process because these undesired frequency tones can lead to, for example, noise or other interference that degrades the transmitted signal in the receiver side.
Increasing the linearity in the transmitter typically involves high-power consumption. Accordingly, increasing the linearity in the transmitter leads to a decreased power efficiency of the transmitter.
On the other hand, decreasing the linearity in the transmitter leads to an increased power efficiency of the transmitter. In other words, such a trade-off exists between the goals of achieving an increased power efficiency and an increased linearity.